Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

PELTS, BUCKSKIN, RAWHIDE 303ing It on a rock, and work this end around insidethe skull so as to break up and remove the brain,using water to assist you. Wash out the inside ofthe skull, and tie the lower jaw in place.Hides.—How to remove and care for the entireskins of large animals is described In Vol. I., pp.270-275. If they are to be used in making buckskinor rawhide, do not salt them.Skins of bears, cougars, etc., that are to be madeup into rugs may be skinned with either the wholehead or only the scalp attached—the former ifwanted mostly for decorative purposes, but practicalminded folk prefer the latter, as these are notso mean to stumble over.If the animal has a largetail, slit the tail skin on the under side, thewhole length. The tail bone must be removed inany case.In skinning a bear slit it along the belly fromchin to tail, and up the inside of each leg from toesto the belly slit. Skin out each foot by peeling theskin down and severing each toe just above baseof nail. Skin out the ears like those of a deer, andthe muzzle the same way if the whole head Is tobe preserved. The skin, being very fatty, requirescareful fleshing.As there probably will be no timefor this until the next day, spread the skin out on theground, rub salt into It, and roll It up for the night,flesh side to flesh side. Next morning fix up a saplingfor a *'beam," as described under the head of Buckskin^throw the skin over It, rub some cornmealor ashes on it, and thoroughly scrape off the fat.Then saltthe skin again.To stretch and dry a skin, set up a rectangularframe, well braced, which may be made of saplingslashed or nailed together. Lace the skin to thisframe, drawing" as taut and evenly all around asyou can (Fig. 183). The best way is with a sackingor sail needle and heavy twine. If. you mustmake slits along the edges, from lack of a needle,cut them as small as practicable. Use a separate